Happy Birthday Mari!

Mari is our cute two year old!  She is the first of her siblings to turn two without having a younger sibling yet.  She will get three whole weeks at least of being the baby at age two!  Of course, her younger brother will probably be getting a lifetime of being the baby, but she is happy to have the status for now!

At 5:00 am I heard lights turning on and could hear whispers of her excited sisters.  Madeline, Camilla, and Eliza woke early to decorate for her.  So very thoughtful!  Eliza even spent her own money on crepe paper and balloons!  (I think maybe her older sisters convinced her that it would be a good use of her money).

 Not just streamers coming from the ceiling, but tied in lovely bows as well.

My pyramid of little ladies.  So blessed to have them all!  They make me smile.  (Okay, sometimes they also make me do the opposite of smiling, but I love them then, too.)

Though they didn't pay for the decorations, Madeline and Camilla did each purchase a gift for Mari.  Camilla bought her a baby pillow pet and Madeline bought a bag of M&Ms.

Natalia and Anna spent weeks preparing gift bags of drawings and such for Mari.  All very thoughtful and heartfelt, I assure you.  Eliza gave her this little sock monkey as well.  (But it is the type of hand-me-down gift that is usually taken back later.)

 Mom and Dad spent some big bucks getting this little girl some new sand toys!  None of the buckets or shovels are cracked or sun-bleached!  There was also a higher quality metal shovel, though it is not pictured.

 To go along with the sand toys, we (meaning Kevin) also borrowed a truck and put a new load of sand in the sandbox which has been all but empty for a very long time.  The girls had taken to digging in the garden boxes and flower beds.  

We first got this fun tractor tire sandbox when Madeline was younger than Mari and it has provided HOURS and HOURS of entertainment for my children!  Yes, lots and lots for the vacuum to suck up as well, but so worth it!

 It is not quite big enough to hold six children without someone's castle constantly being smashed, but that's okay.  It is nice and cozy.  And once the newness wears off again, they won't all be there at the same time very often!

 There's the high quality shovel loading up the bright orange bucket!  That shovel ought to out live the bucket by many years.

 Mari and Daddy got some one on one time on the trampoline!  Mari was extremely aware that it was her special day.  She kept saying "It's my birthday!"  and showing us two cute little fingers.  I love little two year old voices!

 Cute little spaghetti face!

Since Mari couldn't make a request, I decided upon an ice cream cake for her.  It was lovely!  I think I'd take ice cream cake over regular cake any day!  Mari seemed to enjoy it as well which is good, it being her birthday and all.

So reverent during the song, blowing out candles, etc.  Cute little folded arms!   She had a little help from Anna with the candles.  We love, love this Mari girl!